PAULINIAN IDENTITY

Core Values of Paulinian Education

Commission - The Paulinian has a mission - a LIFE PURPOSE spread the Good News and partake of the
evangelizing mission of the church.
Christ-centeredness - Christ is the center of Paulinian Life.
Community - The Paulinian is a RESPONSIBLE FAMILY MEMBER and CITIZEN, concerned with building
community, development of people, justice and peace, and the protection of the environment.
Charism - The Paulinian develops and makes use of TALENTS/GIFTS in the service of God and
others.
Charity - Urged by the LOVE OF CHRIST, the Paulinian is warm, simple, loving, hospitable, zealous, and
"all to all" especially with the underprivileged.

Paulinian Spirituality

Paulinian Mission - Discipleship

The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Life!

When dryness or distraction in prayer occurs, don’t overcompensate. Gently bring yourself back to
focus.
God may be calling you to a deeper relationship with him in these tough moments. There are some
things God can only do when we come to him when we least want to. If you feel like God just isn’t
giving you anything when you pray, it’s an opportunity to just spend time with the giver while
expecting nothing in return.
THE NEW TESTAMENT
Points to remember:
The New Testament does not replace but fulfills the Old.
The New Testament is hidden in the Old and the Old is revealed in the New. (St. Augustine)
Without the New Testament, the Old Testament is just a collection of tragic stories and unfulfilled
promises.
The Old Testament is the story of the gradual unfolding of God’s plan of salvation – the plan that
reaches its climax with the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

How the new testament is organized

Law: the Four Gospels
In the Old Testament, the five books of Moses give the old law and the story of the founding of Israel
The four Gospels give us the New Law and the story of the founding of the Church

The gospels
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John

How the new testament is organized

History: the Acts of the Apostles
In the Old Testament, beginning in Joshua, gives us the history of Israel from the death of Moses
In the New Testament, the Acts of the Apostles gives us the history of the early Church from the
Ascension of Jesus Christ.

Wisdom: the Epistles

The letters written by the Apostles tell us how to live as Christians.

Letters of St. Paul (considered genuine by most scholars)

1 Thessalonians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Romans
1 Corinthians
Philippians
Philemon
2 Thessalonians
Ephesians
Colossians
1 and 2 Timothy
Titus

Other epistles
Hebrews
James
1 and 2 Peter
1, 2, 3 John
Jude

How the new testament is organized

Prophecy: The Revelation to John
John brings us the word of the Lord in symbols and images often recalling those used in the Old
Testament prophets.

The new law: the four gospels

Gospel means Good News
All four Gospels tells the same story.
Each Gospel writer tells it from a different point of view.
Each tell us who Christ is and what he did and said.

How the Gospels came to be?

Stages:
Jesus and the Apostles
The Apostles and the Early Church
The Early Church and the Evangelists

What is an evangelist?
Messenger of good news
The word comes from the Latin evangelium, meaning good tidings.
The Sacred Author of one of the Gospels

Synoptic gospels
synoptic is from the Greek for see together
The Gospels of Sts. Matthew, Mark and Luke all view Christ from a similar perspective.
Scholars speculate Sts. Matthew and Luke may have used St. Mark’s Gospel as a source and they may
have had an additional collection of Christian sayings.

Matthew
Who is he?
Jewish Christians were the main audience for his Gospel (example: Genealogy of Jesus)
Matthew emphasized Jesus as the true heir of David’s kingdom
often called the Church’s Gospel because of its unique presentation of Christ’s moral teachings and
its vision of the Church (Sermon on the Mount)
Key to St. Matthew’s placement as the first Gospel is the Great Commission (Mt. 28:19-20)

Mark
written about AD 70 (earliest of the four)
Shortest; his Gospel runs along at a brisk pace
Roman Christians were Mark’s main audience
Mark emphasized Jesus as leader of a new Exodus
Peter was Mark’s main source
Emphasized what Christ did rather than what he said
St. Mark wrote in difficult and trying times
Persecution of Christians in Rome
Presented Jesus as the Suffering Servant

Luke
traveled with St. Paul, who called him the beloved physician
Was well educated and had mastered the literary techniques of the best writers of the day.
The Prologue to his Gospel is an example of his skill
difficult to date (around AD 70)
wrote for Christians who had been Gentiles
emphasized Christ’s ministry to all peoples
included details of Jesus’ conception and birth not found anywhere else.
women play a prominent role (Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Elizabeth, Mary and Martha)
Sinners are prominent in his Gospel (“The Lost Parables”)
Stressed the emptiness of material possessions
Parable of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son
In His Gospel: Jesus prayed before every major event of his mission.
Presented Jesus as loving, compassionate and forgiving with special love for the poor, the suffering
and the oppressed
John
believed to be written by John, the beloved Apostle
He lived to an advanced age; it was written about AD 90-95
written for Jewish Christians
begins his Gospel by identifying Christ with the Word of God who was present at creation and was its
cause
The Person of Jesus Christ, who reveals the Father, is the central theme of St. John’s Gospel.
John emphasized Jesus as the Word of God Incarnate (Prologue)
Also stressed our new creation in Christ
John’s Gospel fills in details left out of the other three Gospels
The family relationship of the Blessed Trinity is revealed most completely in John
His Gospel has allusions to events in the Old Testament and symbols Jewish readers would have
understood

Evangelist Audience Aim

St. Matthew Jewish Christians Christ fulfilled the messianic prophecies
St. Mark Gentile Christians in Rome Jesus led the New Israel in a New Exodus
St. Luke Gentile Christians Jesus’ ministry was to all nations
St. John Jewish Christians Jesus is truly God incarnate
Messianic Prophecies

Prophecies of Jesus's birth

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will
crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:15).

"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be
blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3

"The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he to whom
it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his" (Genesis 49:10).

"When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed
you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house
for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (2 Samuel 7:12–13).

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and
will call him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14).

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come
for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (Micah
5:2)

"A voice of one calling: 'In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord make straight in the desert a
highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough
ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain'" (Isaiah 40:3–4).

The World of the New Testament

Key Places
Galilee
Nazareth
Samaria
Judea
Jerusalem
Key Historical Events
Alexander the Great
Hellenization: A Threat to Jewish Culture and Identity
Taxation and Slavery
Maccabean Revolt

The Hasmonean Line

The descendants of the Maccabees
Joined the civil power of the kingship with the religious authority of the high priest.

John Hyrcanus
– high priest
-he gave everyone a choice: be circumcised or leave
-the country was Judaized – made Jewish
– destroyed the temple of the Samaritans on Mount Gerizim
-he died and the successor, Aristobulus proclaimed himself as King

Israel became deeply divided between two powerful parties:

Pharisees
Sadducees

Key Historical Events

Roman Occupation
Herod the Great
-managed to ask the Romans to make him the King of Judea
-Murdered three of his own sons
-not Jewish
-after his death, the Romans split his kingdom into four (Tetrarchy)
-Herod Antipas (one of the 4 sons) ruled over Galilee

Groups in Jerusalem: Pharisees

They are the forerunners of the rabbis (teachers). They advocated strict observance of the Law and
Separation of the Gentiles.

Groups in Jerusalem: Sadducees

These wealthy and politically connected Jews cooperated with foreign pagan rulers.
Accepted only the Pentateuch as inspired; and rejected beliefs in angels and life after death.
Groups in Jerusalem: Essenes
This pure and righteous group withdrew into the wilderness to practice the Jewish religion untainted
by the corruption of the Sadducees.

Groups in Jerusalem: Zealots

These revolutionaries wanted to overthrow Roman rule in Judea.

Language
Hebrew
Aramaic
Greek
Latin
INFANCY NARRATIVES

Where Are You From? (John 19:9)

The question about Jesus’ Origin as a Question about Being and Mission

Who do people say that I am?...Who do you say that I am? (Mk. 8:27ff)

STORY: Jesus at an international conference…

Matthew
opens his Gospel with Jesus’ genealogy
2 names are of key significance: Abraham and David
Abraham points ahead to what is yet to come; his whole life points forward
from the beginning of the genealogy, the focus is already the end of the Gospel: “Make disciples of all
nations” (Mt. 28:19)
Jesus’ mission is already contained within his origin
David, was the king to whom the promise of an eternal kingdom had been given: “Your throne shall
be established for ever” (Sam 7:16)
Genealogy: constructed in three sets of 14 generations (from Abraham to David, then descending
from Solomon to the Babylonian captivity, and then rising again to Jesus, in whom the promise comes
to fulfillment.
This 3-fold division becomes even clearer: the Hebrew letters of the name David add up to 14
the genealogy, is truly a Gospel of Christ the King: the whole of history looks toward him whose
throne is to endure for ever.
four women are mentioned: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and the wife of Uriah
Why do these women appear in the genealogy?
By what criterion are they chosen?
it has been said that all four women were sinners
None of them were Jewish
the genealogy ends with a woman: Mary, who truly marks a new beginning and relativizes the entire
genealogy.

John
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… and the Word
became flesh and dwelt [pitched his tent] among us” (Jn. 1:1-14)
The Annunciation of the Birth of John the Baptist

John the Baptist

Zechariah is a priest from the division of Abijah
Elizabeth is from the tribe of Aaron
In the Old Testament Law, priests are from the tribe of the sons of Aaron and Levi
John the Baptist is a priest.
In him the priesthood of the Old Covenant moves toward Jesus.
What did Zechariah do in the Temple?
Why was he there?
Zechariah enters the Temple; he enters the sacred space, while the people wait outside and pray.
it is the hour of the evening sacrifice when he places incense on the burning coals.
the fragrance of the rising incense is a symbol of prayer
What happened to Zechariah?
What was the message of the Angel to him?
How did he respond?
Elizabeth was barren.
In the Old Testament: Sarah, Hannah
John belongs to a long line of offspring born to infertile parents through a miraculous intervention of
God.
John comes from God in a special way, he belongs completely to God and he also lives completely for
men, in order to lead them to God.

The Annunciation to Mary

Luke 1:26f
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a
virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name as
Mary”
6th month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy
Angel’s reference to Elizabeth
Mary’s Visitation
Meeting of John and Jesus in the wombs of the two women
The angel did not address Mary with the usual Hebrew salutation shalom – peace be with you but
with the Greek greeting formula chaire (Hail)
The true meaning of chaire: Rejoice!
This marks the true beginning of the New Testament.
“Rejoice” opens the door to the peoples of the world: the universality of the Christian message
becomes evident
“Rejoice, daughter of Zion; shout Israel…the King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.” (Zeph 3:14-17)
Mary appears as the daughter of Zion in person.
Mary becomes the Ark of the Covenant, the place where the Lord truly dwells
“Rejoice, full of grace”
The connection between joy and grace: chara and charis are derived from the same root

Luke 1:31-35
Content of the Promise
Mary is to bear a child, to whom the angel assigns the titles “Son of the Most High” and “Son of God”
The Lord will give him the throne of his father David
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore
the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God”
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore
the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God”

…the power of the Most High will overshadow you…

In terms of the language used, it belongs to the theology of the Temple and of God’s presence in the
sanctuary
The sacred cloud – the shekinah – is the visible sign of God’s presence.
A sign of God’s presence, of God’s self-revelation in hiddenness
Mary appears as God’s living tent, in which he chooses to dwell among men in a new way

“…You shall name him Jesus…”

Concealed within the name is the tetragrammaton, the mysterious name from Mt. Horeb (I Am Who
Am): God saves
The “incomplete” name from Sinai is finally spoken
The God who is, is the saving God, now present
The revelation of God’s name, which began in the burning bush, comes to completion in Jesus.

Mary’s Response
Unfolds in 3 steps
“ But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.”
(Luke 1:29)

Mary’s Response (First Step)

In reaction to the angel’s greeting she is troubled and pensive
Her reaction is different from Zechariah’s
Zechariah: Luke 1:12
Mary was troubled but what follows is…?
Mary was troubled but what follows is…
not fear but an interior reflection of the angel’s greeting (her inner engagement with the word)
Mary appears as a fearless woman, one who remains composed even in the presence of something
utterly unprecedented
Mary stands before us as a woman of great interiority, who holds heart and mind in harmony and
seeks to understand the context, the overall significance of God’s message.

Mary’s Response (Second Step)

“How shall this be, since I have no husband?” (Lk. 1:34)
Reaction of Zechariah and Mary
What is the difference?
Mary was betrothed
She was already effectively a married woman but did not yet begun their conjugal life

Mary’s Response
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1: 38)

Mary’s Response (Third Step)

Mary’s straightforward YES
She declares herself to be the handmaid of the Lord
Mary’s YES is the moment of free, humble yet magnanimous obedience in which the loftiest choice of
human freedom is made.

“And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38)

The great hour of Mary’s encounter with God’s messenger – in which her whole life is changed –
comes to an end, and she remains there alone, with the task that truly surpasses all human capacity.
She must continue along the path that leads through many dark moments – from Joseph’s dismay at
her pregnancy, right up to the night of the Cross.
What was her source of strength?
The words of God’s angel: “Rejoice, full of grace!” and “Do not be afraid!”

The Conception and Birth of Jesus according to Matthew

Matthew
Relates it exclusively from the perspective of St. Joseph, who was a descendant of David
Begins by telling us that Mary was betrothed to Joseph
With regard to Jesus’ origin, Joseph does not yet know
He assumed that Mary has broken the engagement and according to the law he must dismiss her.
He has a choice between a public juridical act (bring to the court) and a private form (private writ of
divorce).
Joseph was a just man
“A just man, it tells us, is one who maintains living contact with the word of God, who “delights in the
law of the Lord.” (Psalms 1:2)
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of
the Holy Spirit.” (Mt. 1:20)
Joseph is explicitly addressed as son of David
“Do not be afraid”
Joseph’s Dream
Shows his capacity to perceive the divine and his ability to discern
Mt. 1:21
The name Jesus (Jeshua) means YHWH is salvation

The Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem

Luke 2:1
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.”
A population census, for purposes of determining and collecting taxes, was what prompted Joseph to
set off from Nazareth for Bethlehem.
Bethlehem is the birthplace of King David
Jacob’s blessing to Judah: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler’s staff from between
his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Gen
49:10)

Luke 2:6f
There was no room for them in the inn…
“Foxes have holes, birds of the have nets; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Mt.
18:20)
From the moment of his birth, Jesus belongs outside the realm of what is important and powerful in
worldly terms.
Yet it is this unimportant and powerless child that proves to be the truly powerful one, the one on
whom ultimately everything depends.

Luke 2:7
Jesus was born in a stable
In the area around Bethlehem, rocky caves had been used as stables
Mary wrapped the child in swaddling cloths…
We may imagine with what great love Mary approached her hour and prepared for the birth of her
child.
In terms of the Theology of the Fathers: the child stiffly wrapped in bandages is seen as prefiguring
the hour of his death (sacrificial victim)
The manger was seen as a kind of an altar.
St Augustine: The manger is the place where animals find their food. But now, lying in the manger, is
he who called himself true bread come down from heaven, the true nourishment that we need in
order to be fully ourselves.
Thus the manger becomes a reference to the table of God (the Eucharist)

Luke 2:7
“Mary gave birth to her first-born son”
What does this mean?
Firs-born is not necessarily the first in a series.
Exodus 13:1f
This word highlights the particular way in which Jesus belongs to God.
St. Paul: “first-born of all creation”
(Col 1;15)
Jesus is God’s first thought, preceding all creation, which is ordered toward him and proceeds from
Him.
Jesus is both the beginning and the goal of the new creation that was initiated with the Resurrection.

Luke 2:8f
The first witness of the great event are watchful shepherds
They were among the poor, the simple souls whom Jesus would bless.
The shepherds represent the poor of Israel, the poor in General: God’s first love.
The shepherds watchfulness
David was made the King (The Shepherd of Israel)
Jesus was born among the shepherds, he is The Great Shepherd of mankind.
The shepherds were filled with fear
But the angel takes away their fear: “a great joy, which will come to all the people; for to you is born
this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Sign: they will find a child wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.
Luke 2:15f
The shepherds made haste
Just like Mary went with haste to the town of Judea where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived.
Why were the shepherds in haste?
They were driven by their joy on hearing that now, truly, the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord had been
born, the one so long awaited – and they would be the first to see him.
Reflection: How many Christians make haste today, where the things of God (Holy Mass) are
concerned?
If anything merits haste, then it is the things of God.
Luke concludes the narrative of Jesus’ birth with an account of what happened to him, in accordance
with Israel’s law, the 8th day and on the 40th day.
The 8th day is the day of circumcision
Jesus is now a legal member of the people of Israel.
40th day is the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
Jesus is handed over to God, and from now on belongs to him completely.
The old man Simeon (Lk. 2:29f)
Simeon to Mary
The theology of glory is inseparably linked with the theology of the Cross

Luke 2:36
The prophetess Anna from the tribe of Asher
84 year old woman, who after 7 years of marriage, had lived for decades as a widow.
She did not depart from the Temple

The Wise Men from the East and the Flight into Egypt
Who were the Magi?
From the land of sunrise as what Matthew calls them
Members of the Persian priestly caste
custodians of religious and philosophical knowledge

The Star
The great conjunction of Jupiter (star of highest Babylonian deity) and Saturn (the cosmic
representative of the Jewish people)
The star leads the wise men as far as Judea
Judea – Jerusalem – King’s palace – presumed place of the promise
Matthew 2:10
“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”
The joy of one who has found what he sought, and has himself been found.

Matthew 2:11
They fell down and worshipped Jesus
This is the homage that is offered to a divine king
The gifts were not practical gifts
It was an acknowledgment of the royal dignity of Jesus
Gold and incense are mentioned in
Is 60:6 as gifts of homage that the Gentiles will place before the God of Israel
Gold points to Jesus’ kingship
Incense to His divine Sonship
Myrrh to the mystery of his Passion

Flight into Egypt and Return to the Land of Israel

Matthew 2:13-23
Connection to the story of Moses
Jesus was a threat to Herod
With the flight into Egypt and the return to the promised Land, Jesus grants the definitive Exodus.
Jesus is truly the Son.
He is not going to run away from the Father.
Jesus returns home, and he leads others home.
He is always on the path toward God and thus leads the way back from exile to the homeland, back to
all that is authentic and true.
Jesus, the true Son, himself went into ‘exile” in a very deep sense, in order to lead all of us home from
exile.

The Twelve Year Old Jesus in the Temple

Luke 2:41-52
Jesus’ parents went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover
The Torah laid down that every Israelite was to make an appearance in the Temple for the 3 great
feasts: Passover, Feast of Weeks and Feast of Tabernacles
By going to the Temple 3 times a year, Israel remains, God’s pilgrim people, always journeying toward
its God and receiving its identity and unity increasingly from the encounter with God in the one
Temple.
Finding of Jesus in the Temple
On the journey home, Jesus was found to be lost.
For the parents, this was the start of days filled with fear and anxiety.
According to the Evangelist, it was only 3 days that they found Jesus again in the temple, where he
was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
The three days is a silent reference to the 3 days between Cross and Resurrection.
These are days spent suffering the absence of Jesus
Thus an arc extends from this first Passover of Jesus to his last, the Passover of the Cross.
Something of the sword of sorrow of which Simeon had spoken (Lk 2:35) becomes palpable for Mary
at this hour.
The closer one comes to Jesus, the more one is drawn into the mystery of his Passion.
Jesus’ reply: How so? You were looking for me? Did you not know where a child must be? That he
must be in his father’s house.
Mary said: “Your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.”
Jesus corrects her: I am with my father.
Jesus used the word “must” and he acts in accordance with what must be
The Son, must be with his father.
Mary and Joseph did not understand the saying he spoke to them
Mary kept all these things in her heart (Luke 2:50-51)
Mary is the model believer
Incarnation - the word made flesh in Jesus
Natures of Jesus - Divine, Human, One Person

Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

Mt. 3:13-17; mark 1:9-11; luke 3:21-22

Divine Manifestations
 Opening of the Heavens
 Descent of the Holy Spirit
 Divine Proclamation

Jesus’ baptism by John identified Jesus with us sinners.

As a Levite and prophet, John anointed Jesus for his ministry.
Jesus was the Son of David, the heir to David’s kingdom.
David and all the kings after him were anointed by Levites.
The dove reminds us of the dove that Noah sent out after the Flood.
Like the Flood, Baptism is a new creation.
Saul and David’s anointing; the Spirit of the Lord came upon them (1 Sm 10:10; 1 Sm 16:13)
The setting, reminds us of famous events in the Old Testament.
Joshua crossed the Jordan to bring Israel into the Promised Land.
In the same way, the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea on their way to Sinai.
The Baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God’s suffering
Servant. (CCC, 536)
Already he is anticipating the “baptism” of his bloody death. (CCC, 536)
Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. (CCC, 536)
At his baptism “the heavens were opened” – the heavens that Adam’s sin had closed – and the waters
were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation. (CCC, 536)

The Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness

Mt. 4:1-11
Mark 1:12-13
Luke 4:1-13

Before his ministry began, Jesus prepared for it by fasting in the dessert for 40 days (same time as
Elijah and Moses had fasted in the dessert, the number of years Israel wandered in the dessert, the
number of days and nights of rain it took to engulf the world in the Flood)
Tempted means tested
Jesus could not have sinned, since he was God incarnate.
But it was fitting for Jesus, the perfect man
The Devil wanted to find out whether Jesus was really the Son of God.

First temptation
Turning the Stones into Bread
The Devil was trying to make Jesus turn away from the path of suffering but Jesus reminded the Devil
that God’s plan is far more important than human hunger.

Second temptation
The temptation of Pseudo-Trust
This time the Devil himself was quoting the Scripture from Ps 91:1-12
Jesus answers by quoting Dt. 6:16 “You shall not tempt the Lord your God”

Third temptation
Temptation of Idolatry
This was the most important test of all. Why?
As the New Adam, Jesus had overcome the temptation that the first Adam had been unable to resist.
As the King of Israel, Jesus had repeated the trial of Israel in the wilderness, but had overcome the
temptation to worship false Gods.

The Call and Mission of the Twelve

The Call of the First Disciples (Mark 1:16-20)
The Mission of the Twelve (Mark 3:13-19/Luke 6:12-16)

Jesus went up the Mountain

Signifies the place of Jesus’ communion with God
The Calling of the Apostles is a prayerful event
They were begotten in prayer, in intimacy with God

Jesus called to him those whom he desired…

You cannot make yourself a disciple – it is an event of election, a free decision of the Lord’s will
And he appointed twelve…
Symbolic number of Israel – the number of the sons of Jacob
Comprehensiveness of the People of God
And he appointed twelve…
Connecting with the Old Testament…
Jesus is the true Jacob (Jacob’s dream), the “Son of Man” , the patriarch of the definitive Israel.

The Mission
To be with Him and …
To be sent out to preach (to give people the light of the world, the message of Jesus)

The Eucharist and our Mission as Christ’s Disciples

The Mission of Jesus
Salvation for all
Salvation from sin

First Miracle
John 2: 1-11

Mission of Jesus
Deeds : Healing Ministry
The Healing of the Paralytic (Luke 5: 17-26)
The Healing of the Centurion’s Slave (Luke 7: 1-10)

Salvation
Salvation from Life’s Meaninglessness
Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)

Salvation from Socio-political Oppression

The Blind Man Bartimaeus (Mk. 10:46-52)

Salvation from Cosmic Evil

The Cure of a Demoniac (Mark 1:21-28)

Words: Preaching Ministry

Core of His teaching: Kingdom of God

Kingdom of God: Parables

Mustard Seed (Luke 13:18-19
Yeast (Luke 13:20-21)

Parables of the Lost (Luke 15)

Lost Sheep
Lost Coin
Lost Son

The Prodigal Son is a story that speaks about a LOVE that existed before any rejection was possible
and that will still be there after all rejections have taken place.
Transfiguration of Jesus
Matthew 17:1-12
Love until the end.
Paschal Mystery of Jesus
Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus

The Cross: Symbol of Saving Love

It allows us “to grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of
Christ’s love, and experience this love which surpasses all knowledge (Eph 3:18-19)
It is not the very sufferings and death of Christ that saves us
We are saved by Jesus’ perfect self-giving love for his Father and for us, a love lived out to the death
The cross symbolizes the transformation of suffering and weakness through active, total self-giving
love

Christ’s Views of His Suffering and Death

The Passion and Death of Jesus is the saving act of God in Jesus’ free self-sacrifice
As His Mission. The Synoptic Gospels record Jesus’ triple pre-diction of his suffering and death (Mk.
8:31; 9:31; 10:33f)
Following the OT Prophets. His death was necessary to fulfill the Scriptures (Lk 24: 25b-26)
He saw his suffering and death as part of the coming of the Kingdom

Characteristics of Christ’s Suffering and Death

Redemptive
His ultimate service in the Kingdom.
The Last Supper (Jn 13:1) and (Jn 15:13)
Matthew 26:28
From Sin
Christ’s coming, then, was “to expiate the sins of the people” (Heb 2:17
From Sin
St. Paul
Jesus offered a sacrifice as both priest and victim
He gave himself for our sins
He thus created a new Covenant with God
All of this are for us and our salvation
Clarification: The Father hates sin, not JESUS
- For Us
-Jesus died because of our human sinfulness
-He died to show us, and empower us, to overcome sin and its effects
Stations of the Cross
The Last Supper
The Agony in Gethsemani
Jesus Before the Sanhedrin
The Scourging and Crowning with thorns
Jesus receives the cross
Jesus falls under the weight of the cross
Simon of Cyrene carries the cross of Jesus
Jesus meets the Pious Women of Jerusalem
Jesus is nailed to the Cross
The Repentant Thief
Mary and John at the Foot of the Cross
Jesus Dies on the Cross
Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
Jesus Rises from Death

Resurrection
The most significant event of the Christian faith
The key to our salvation and all authentic knowledge of God
If Christ is not risen, our faith is worthless (1 Cor 15:17)

Christ’s Resurrection
Confirmed all Christ had done and taught during his public ministry
Fulfilled the OT prophecies
Confirmed Jesus as the “only Son of the Father”
Enabled Christ to share his new life with us as adopted sons and daughters of the Father
Principle and source of our resurrection
Christ’s Resurrection is not only the proof of the Gospel message. It IS the central Gospel message
itself.

How does the NT witness to Christ’s Resurrection?

Easter proclamation and apostolic mandate
Descriptions of the Risen Christ’s appearances to his disciples (Emmaus, Apostles)

The Two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)

Mane Nobiscum Domine! (Stay with us Lord)
Jesus left them physically but what remained with them is the bread that is broken by Jesus himself.
“Were not our hearts burning [withn us] while he spoke to us...?”
How does the NT witness to Christ’s Resurrection?
Narrative of the tradition of the empty tomb
Account of the early Christian community’s experience of the Risen Christ’s presence in the Holy Spirit

Christ’s Ascension
It means that the Risen Christ ascended to heaven to take his place at the right hand of the Father.
It is a salvific event for us since Christ’s return to the Father was necessary for sending the Spirit
among us
Christ continues to mediate on our behalf

Christ’s Second Coming

Christ will come again at the Parousia to judge the living and the dead